Jets find familiar themes as their playoff drought hits 15 seasons and QB uncertainty continues

The New York Jets will be sitting home for the playoffs — again — and trying to figure out their future at quarterback — again.

They're both recurring, frustrating themes for the struggling franchise, which extended the NFL's longest active postseason drought to 15 seasons with a 34-10 loss to Miami on Sunday.

“It’s a yearly thing,” said running back Breece Hall, who's finishing his fourth season with the team. “It definitely starts to weigh on you. You see your peers and you see other guys that you know you’re just as good as or better than, and they get to have a lot of fun.”

A few generations of Jets fans know the feeling.

Many weren't even born when Rex Ryan last led the franchise to the playoffs during the 2010 season behind a stifling defense, a young quarterback in Mark Sanchez and a ground-and-pound running offense.

The Jets' search for a consistently productive signal caller is in an even longer slump, with only some flashes of success and optimism along the way since Joe Namath’s last game with the franchise in 1976.

Undrafted rookie Brady Cook could become the next in a long line of quarterbacks to start for the team after he made his regular-season NFL debut against the Dolphins when he replaced the injured Tyrod Taylor late in the first quarter. Cook, who was Taylor’s backup because Justin Fields was ruled out with knee soreness, was 14 of 30 for 163 yards and two interceptions.

“I thought Brady did some good things,” coach Aaron Glenn said. “Listen, he was put in a tough situation and it’s always tough for a backup quarterback to actually go in and get the rhythm that he needs from not getting as many reps as you want to get during the week, but I thought he had true command of the offense."

Glenn had no updates on either Taylor, who's dealing with a groin injury, or Fields, who had already been benched before the knee injury.

“We've got to see what guys are healthy enough to go out there and give us a chance to win,” Glenn said.

The coach then declined to say whether he'd go back to Fields as the starter if he's the healthier of the two veteran quarterbacks.

“I’m going to play the guy that I think gives us the best chance to win,” he said.

At 3-10, there obviously haven't been a lot of victories. And there's just as much uncertainty under center as there has been at any point during the Jets' playoff-less stretch.

Fields was signed to a two-year, $40 million contract last March with the hope he could thrive in his third NFL start. That didn't work out, to put it lightly.

Taylor is a 36-year-old journeyman backup with an injury history. He's a positive influence on the locker room, but hardly a player who can be relied on to be a long-term solution.

Cook, meanwhile, has some potential but is unproven and likely won't be able to do much to dissuade the Jets from looking to add a quarterback in free agency and possibly the draft.

As another season for New York fizzles, Glenn has continued to preach the need for building a foundation. Finding the quarterback, though, is the biggest brick. And the Jets have shown for the last 50-plus years that has always been the toughest task of all.

The return game. Isaiah Williams became the third player in franchise history to have multiple punt return touchdowns in one season, joining Dick Christy (1961 and 1962) and Santana Moss (2002). He had a 78-yard return for a score against Miami and a 74-yarder for a TD against Cleveland last month. Kene Nwangwu also has a 99-yard kickoff return for a score, giving the Jets three TDs on returns this season — their most since also having three in 2007.

Run defense. After a solid stretch following some early season struggles, the Jets are again having teams run right through them. The Dolphins rolled up 239 yards on the ground Sunday, with missed tackles throughout the game. “That many rushing yards is completely unacceptable,” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said.

That came a week after Atlanta had 167 yards rushing against them.

TE Mason Taylor. The second-round pick and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor led the Jets with five catches for 51 yards against the Dolphins before suffering a stinger. He tops the Jets with 44 receptions, joining Dustin Keller (2008) and Pete Lammons (1966) as the only rookie tight ends in franchise history to top 40 catches.

DC Steve Wilks. The Jets' defense has been disappointing for most of the season, and that was the case even before New York traded cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline last month. Wilks' unit has routinely missed tackles, leading to explosive plays. The Jets also have no interceptions through 13 games — an NFL record for futility.

WR Garrett Wilson (knee) is eligible to come off injured reserve this week, but Glenn said the team will rely on what the doctors say to determine when — or if — he'll return this season. ... TE Stone Smartt was being evaluated for a concussion. ... Rookie DE Tyler Baron has a knee injury. ... Rookie LB Kiko Mauigoa cleared the concussion protocol during the game but didn’t return because of a shoulder injury.

6 — The Jets had six dropped passes against Miami, according to Tru Media, the most by a team this season.

Glenn will get the medical reports and determine who his quarterback will be Sunday when the Jets travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) reaches for a tipped pass during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (5) carries the ball for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Jets wide receiver Isaiah Williams (18) returns a punt for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn watches play from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) tucks the ball under pressure from the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)